Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

touch and go

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.88 in modern English

Syllables: touch and -go
IPA

17

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

2

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Characterized by brief and transitory encounters.

Obsolete

adj

Precarious, delicate, risky, sensitive; of uncertain outcome (by analogy with a ship in shallow water).

verb

To briefly encounter before moving on.

Obsolete

verb

To touch bottom lightly and continue without damage, as a vessel in motion.

verb

To perform a touch-and-go landing.

Example Sentences

"Madam, I’m gone; no wonder, for you know, Lovers' encounters are but touch and go."
"His condition was touch and go for a time after the accident, but they think he will recover."
"I could sense it was touch and go whether I could get the lay."
"One year ago, love was touch and go / Time made me see, solved the mystery / Taught me that love and time / Will change your mind, and make it right / Bring your darkness to the light / My heart sings in the night, my love I bring to you"
"As the text doth rise, I will touch and go a little in euery place, untill I come unto too much."
"Whilst they were disputing the vessel touched the ground, but soon got off again. "Ay," says the captain, "he is a good pilot that can touch and go.""

Etymology

The original sense, now obsolete, seems to have been that of brief encounters. The subsequent nautical sense then gave rise first to the abstract sense (indicating a hazardous situation) and later, by physical analogy, to the aeronautical sense.

Usage

Obsolete

Inflected Forms

more touch and go (comparative) most touch and go (superlative) touches and goes (present, singular) touching and going (participle, present) touched and went (past) touched and gone (participle, past)

Questions

What does touch and go mean?: Characterized by brief and transitory encounters.
Where does touch and go come from?: The original sense, now obsolete, seems to have been that of brief encounters. The subsequent nautical sense then gave rise first to the abstract sense (indicating a hazardous situation) and later, by physical analogy, to the aeronautical sense.

How to pronounce touch and go

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